Comments on: Spandrels http://shirhashirim.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/spandrels/ Song of Songs and everything Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:06:06 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: shirhashirim http://shirhashirim.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/spandrels/#comment-98 shirhashirim Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:43:00 +0000 http://shirhashirim.wordpress.com/?p=55#comment-98 The only point I wasn't making, was the one about atheism/materialism and objective morality ;-) If you ask me, there's no such thing as 'objective' morality, so everyone has a problem. I like your distinction between arches and spandrels in terms of what they contribute to instead of what they are the result of. That however, doesn't take away the possibility that 'arches' can turn into 'spandrels' and vice versa, depending both on how evolution turns out and on how we look at it. That was the basic point I was making. The only point I wasn’t making, was the one about atheism/materialism and objective morality ;-) If you ask me, there’s no such thing as ‘objective’ morality, so everyone has a problem.

I like your distinction between arches and spandrels in terms of what they contribute to instead of what they are the result of. That however, doesn’t take away the possibility that ‘arches’ can turn into ’spandrels’ and vice versa, depending both on how evolution turns out and on how we look at it. That was the basic point I was making.

]]> By: poppies http://shirhashirim.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/spandrels/#comment-97 poppies Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:57:11 +0000 http://shirhashirim.wordpress.com/?p=55#comment-97 Well, it's true that there are major difficulties reconciling free will and objective morality with atheism/materialism, but I'm not getting many of your other points. For instance, the ostensible "goal" of evolution is the successful maintenance of gene types. But this is just a short hand way of describing how the natural algorithms of environmental pressures and random biological variables end up expressing themselves. No real intelligence or forethought is being described. The distinction between "arches" and "spandrels" is pretty objective: the former directly contributes to gene replication, the latter does not. Well, it’s true that there are major difficulties reconciling free will and objective morality with atheism/materialism, but I’m not getting many of your other points.

For instance, the ostensible “goal” of evolution is the successful maintenance of gene types. But this is just a short hand way of describing how the natural algorithms of environmental pressures and random biological variables end up expressing themselves. No real intelligence or forethought is being described.

The distinction between “arches” and “spandrels” is pretty objective: the former directly contributes to gene replication, the latter does not.

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